AKA unknown male Foxtrot 23/4: Alias assignment for unidentified emergency room patients

Abstract

Objectives - To introduce a unique system of alias assignment for patients whose identity is initially unknown at time of admission to the emergency unit; to prevent confusion and cases of mistaken identity. Methods - At the triage area the 'unknown' patient is given a 'forename' using the phonetic alphabet according to the stage of the current name cycle. The sex of the patient is included as well as the unknown status and a 'surname' is added as the numerical date. Thus an unknown male patient admitted on the 24th of April at the start of a new name cycle would be known as 'unknown male Alpha 24/4'. Results - Ten thousand alias assignments have been issued to patients since the introduction of the system in 1985. Conclusion - This system is a simple yet effective, tried and tested method for the unique identification of unknown patients, which allows easy communication and retrieval of data for inquiries.